Option of supporting TRS in Telangana not closed, hints BJP

Hyderabad: A day before the Telangana Assembly poll results, the BJP Monday hinted that the option of extending support to the TRS in case it falls short of numbers is not closed, even as it expressed readiness to sit in the opposition. BJP national spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao noted that most of the exit polls point towards the TRS (Telangana Rashtra Samiti) retaining power in Telangana and they are likely to turn out to be right.

On options before his party in case of a hung Assembly, Rao said it's difficult to comment as one does not know as of now what the shortfall (for TRS) is going to be. "The BJP will have nothing to do with the Congress or the MIM (led by Asaduddin Owaisi)," he told PTI, dropping hints that the BJP may not be averse to do business with the K Chandrasekhar Rao government to keep the Congress at bay. "....BJP certainly wants a stable government and in case of a hung assembly we will see who seeks our support, our support will certainly be not available for the Congress or the MIM," Rao added. In the previous elections in 2014, the BJP had won five seats in an alliance with the Telugu Desam Party led by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

The BJP had gone it alone in the December 7 polls, while the TDP was part of the Congress-led "Prajakutami" (People's Front) which also comprised the Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) and the Communist Party of India (CPI). Friday's exit polls predicted that the BJP's seat tally would remain in single digits. "So, our own expectation is our seat tally and vote-share will go up substantially in this election," Rao said. "We have fought the (Telangana) elections both against the Congress and TRS, so we would be happy to be an opposition party...to play the role of a constructive opposition party. That's the role people will give us and we are happy to perform that role," he said.